Self-Assembly of Tyrosine into Controlled Supramolecular Nanostructures.

ABSTRACT

In the context of designing novel amino acid nanostructures, the capacity of tyrosine alone to form well-ordered structures under different conditions was explored. It was observed that Tyr can self-assemble into well-defined morphologies when deposited onto surfaces for transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of various parameters that can modulate the self-assembly process, including concentration of the amino acid, aging time, and solvent, was studied. Different supramolecular architectures, including nanoribbons, branched structures, and fern-like arrangements were also observed.